Samsung Launches ‘Gear Indie’ Channel for Independent VR Content

Today Samsung is giving a nod to all the indie VR creators in the world with the welcomed addition of an independent film channel called Gear Indie.

As part of Samsung’s Milk VR collection of content, available on the Gear VR, the Gear Indie channel will feature a wide array of independent features produced by smaller production studios.

Content already available on Samsung’s Gear VR has seen a breadth of larger brand experiences like Lionsgate’s Insurgent, Refinery29’s Fashionably Bound, or Spike TV’s Lip Sync Battle. Now with the addition of Gear Indie, Samsung and Milk VR are hoping to inspire independent VR creators in showcasing their latest videos with the additional visibility provided on the platform.

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Over the next few weeks, Samsung will showcase 13 curated independent virtual reality films, ranging from a time-lapse of the Mohave Desert, a comedy short about teleportation, or even a “virtual pet” simulator filmed at the San Diego Humane Society.

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Gear Indie will serve as the primary channel for watching curated independent VR films, but Samsung isn’t just leaving it there. Throughout the year, Samsung will also be hosting Gear Indie challenges to inspire creators to submit content to the platform based on specific themes. Samsung is looking to hold between 8 and 15 of the challenges, with prizes likely in the form of VR filmmaking equipment or cash.

The company is topping it all off with plans for a mentorship program in conjunction with the challenges that pairs creators with prominent folks in the VR industry. Although Samsung is being guarded about the exact mentors, some will include Jason Rubin, the head of Worldwide Studios for Oculus; Nancy Bennett, the chief content officer at Two Bit Circus, a Los Angeles-based interactive agency; and Anthony Batt, the cofounder and executive vice president of WEVR, a virtual reality technology company.

The channel is live right now on Milk VR. Content creators can learn more on the official website.